Third-stage treatment for box-wrapping machines.



M. E. PETERS, G. H. FATH (I; A. F. MILLER. THIRD STAGE TREATMENT FOR BOX WRAPPING MACHINES, APPLICATION FILED SEPT-25. l9l6.

LQQ538I Patented Oct. 30,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M. E. PETERS, G. H. FATH & A. F. MiLLER. THIRD STAGE tnnmsm FOR 80X WRAPPING MACHINES.

APPLICATION man sums. i916. 1,2%%,538. Patented 00. 30.19122 2 suns-sun? 2. 2

55 .QIIITT; I -IT'QI .j.nmnmnnnunimum UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MEL'VILLE E. PETERS, GEORGE H. FATE, AND ALBERT F. MILLER, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNORS. T0 THEPEIERS PATENT RIGHTS COMPANY, OF DENVER, COLORADO, A CORPORATION OF COLORADO.

THIRD-STAGETREATMENT FOR BOX-WRAFPING MACHINES.

' Sp eeifieaticn of Letters Patent. I

Patented Oct. 30, 1917'.

Original application filed November 5, 1915, Serial No. 59,860. Divided and this application filed September 25, 1916. Serial No. 122,056.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MnLvILLn E. PETERS, GEoRGnH. FATH, and ALBERT F.'MILLER, citizens of the United States of America, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented anew and useful Third-Stage Treatment for Box- Wrapping Machines, of which the following isa specification.

Our invention relates to a new box end finishing machine for wrapped boxes, and the objects of our invention are:

First, to providefa machine that will finish tgfidends and end corners of wrapped boxes.

Second, to provide a machine that will receive boxes of various sizes that have been wrapped in other box and blank or label wrapping machines, and that will efiect a finishing pressure to their ends and end corners. I

We attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: I

Figure l isja vertical, longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a box wrapping machine, embodying the improved box end finishing mechanism.

Fig. 2 is arear view of one of the head blocks which support the box end finishing mechanism, together with the said mechanism and its operating gears.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the same.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal, sectional view of a pair of cooperating head blocks and their box end finishing mechanism, and showing the right and left hand threaded rod by which the said head blocks are moved toward or away from each other to conform to boxes of different lengths.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal, sectional view through a portion of one of the head blocks, showing the cam shaft for operating the pinching mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a front view of a portion of the head block supporting arm, showing the gears which effect'the movement of the driving shaftby which the cam shafts are actuated.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the cam operated spring controlled lever, by which the box gripper actuating bar is raised, and

Fig. 8 is a plan view of one of thebox grippers and parts cqnnected therewith.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Our present invention relates to a mechanlsm for pinching the ends and end corners of b oxesthat have been completely wrapped by prior or previous treatment or treatments in, other box treating, machines, which prior blank wrapping treatments may have been given to the box by such of the box wrapping machines at present in use as are adapted for this character of work. A box wrapping machine however especially adapted to give prior treatments to boxes and blanksis illustrated in our pending application Serial No. 59,860 filed November 5, 1915 for a box wrapping machine.

A feature of our present invention is shown in application Serial No. 122,059, combined second and third stage turn-in finishing treatment for'box wrapping machines, filed September 25, 1916, of which this present application is a divisional part, and the object of this divisional application is to individualize this mechanism so that it can be used as a separate and distinct machine by itself or be used in connection with the types of box wrapping machines in common use.

To this end the numeral 1 represents a supporting frame which frame may be of any suitable shape. \Ve preferably however illustrate a box shaped frame, as it is especially adapted tosupport the wrapped boxes that are fedto our end and corner pinching treatment finishing mechanism. The pinching treatment which our mechanism gives to the ends and corners of wrapped boxes, is a finishing'pressure treatment, and it is effected in the following manner:

The wrapped boxes are fed to and centrallyipositioned in engaging relation to our pinching mechanism by any suitable means. A preferred arrangement will be described however hereinafter, both for feeding the wrapped box to the pinching mechanism and for discharging it from the machine after it has received its finishing pressure. The mechanism which accomplishes this pinching finishing pressure is adjustably mounted onan overhead arm 2 that is reciprocally mounted on the machine and is cam actuated to move the box ends pinching mechanism down over and on. opposite sides of the ends of the box.

The mechanism that applies theclamping pressure to the ends of the box comprises two head blocks E and F. each of which slidably mounted on a slideway portion 3 formed on the under side of an overhead arm; each head block is provided with guideways a that are provided with caps 5. These two head blocks are adjustably mounted at box receiving distances apart on opposite sides of the vertical center of, the heads to lit boxes of different lengths, by a right and left handed threaded rod 6 which extends through a threaded aperture in each head block. At the center of the length of this threaded rod it is supported by a split journal box 7, which is provided with a clamping sleeve through which the rod ro tatably passes, and a finger nut 8 is arranged toclose the sleeve to grip the screw, a collar v being pinned to the rod on each side ofthe sleeve to prevent endwise movement of the rod. This screw is also supported at its rear end by a lug 9 which is secured to the adjacent end of the arm 2 and the end of the screw is arranged to receive a crank lever 10, by which the operator may turn it to move the head blocks in positions to fit boxes of different lengths. Each of these head blocks has a hollow chamber opening up into it from its lower edge, and the box edge clamping mechanism is positioned in and depends from this opened chambered end. The mechanism for each head block is of the construction and arrangement following and it consists of an eccentric 11 formed on a shaft 12 which extends transversely across the block and is mounted in bearings formed in its opposite sides. The shaft 12 is rotated by abevel gear 13 that is secured on one end of it, and which meshes with a be el gear 1% having a hub which is mounted in a bearing on one side of the head block, the gear l t being slidably mounted on a square shaft 15. This square shaft on tends past both heads and it is provided at its inner end with a bevel gear 16 that meshes with a bevel gear 17 that is secured on the lower end of a vertical shaft 18 that extends up through bearings formed on a bracket 20 secured to the overhead arm 2.- A spur gear 21 is secured on the upper end of the shaft 18, which meshes with a gear 22 that is mounted on the upper end of a right hand square tubular shaft 23, which extends down through one of the large tubu lar standards 24 which support the arm 2. The lower end of the shaft 23 carries agear 25 which meshes with a cam operated rack bar 26 by means of which the shaft 23 is turned.

Two arms 27 are rotatably mounted on the eccentric of the shaft and their ends are pivotally secured to lugs 28 that are formed on aplate 29 that is provided with guideways and is slidaibly mounted in slideways formed in the opposite sides of the head block. fin abutmentbar 30 wl ich preferably "consists of a piece of wood, is -clamped to the outer end of the plate by a clamping cap 31. The abutment bar is arranged to 'fit snugly down inside of each box between its sides at its ends, and it has a short reciprocal movement against the inside surface of the adjacent end of the box due to the throw :of the eccentric, which acts to press the bar against the inside surfaces of the wrapped ends of the blank that were folded over the box at the second station,'but which need a pinching pressure to smoothly flat-ten them against the inside ends andcorners of the box. 7

. Upon'the eccentric sha t at the side of the arms 27 twoshort levers 38 are mounted, the free ends of which are pivotally secured to the opposite sides of one end of a'link 34. The opposite end of this link is secured to one of the ends of two pairs of links '35 and 36. One of the ends of the links is pivotally 'secured to a'block 3'? which is secured to across bar 38, which is bolted to the sides of the head block. .ihe opposite ends of the other two links are pivotally secured to lugs which are formed on a plate 39 that is bolted to a pressure bar 4:0 the front end of which is covered with a strip of felt. The pressure bar and the felt strip are made wide enough to extend across the outside end of the greatest width boxes covered by the machine. This pressure bar has guideway side edges which fit in slideways t1 formed in the insides of the side pieces of the pressure plate 29. The toggle links 85 and 36 due to the partial rotative throw movement of the eccentric shaft impart short reciproca-l movement to the outside pressure bar 40, which is arranged and timed to move against the out-side surface of the end of the box, and to oppose the pressure movement of the inside abutment bar 30 against the inside of the box. Both movementstake place at the same timeand pinch or clamp the ends of theboX between ,thema lthe block 30 acts as an abutment for the toggle power pressure of the arms 36; /Vhena box arrives at its proper stopping position below the heads, the overhead arm is at the top of its upward stroke and consequently the head blocks are raised above the path of the in+ coming box; Both head blocks are posi: tioned and timed so that when a boX is fed to the heads, the presser bars will stand directly over the ends of the box, and these presser bars are spaced as far apart as the eccentric shaft will throw them, which would be preferably about a quarter of an eh 7 Then when the overhead arm moves down, these bars straddle the opposite ends of the box at their upper edge portion.

Then the cam and gearing mechanism-that operates the eccentric shaft of the head blocks acts to cause the eccentric through the arms 27 to'move the blocks 30 against the inside surface of the ends of the box, and through the toggles 35 and 36, link 34 and levers 3-3, to move the presser bar. 40 against the outside surface of the box, and thus very tightly pinches the end edges and corners of thebox-between them.

The box has now been completely wrapped and its corners finished and it is ready to be released and discharged from the machine.

The presser bars then move apart to release the box by the action of the eccentric shaft. The overhead arm then raises the head blocks above the box, and it is engaged by a finger clip 42- and is moved off 'rom the discharge end of the wrapping ma chine. l

-The wrapped boxes may be fed into the machine by hand and they may also be fed or discharged or removed from the machine by hand. We preferably however employ the following mechanism, which operates automatically to move the boxes when properly fed to it into operative relation to the box end pinching members, and to discharge them from it. This mechanism comprises the following instrumentalities:

The table portion 43 of the frame is provided with a slideway 44 which is formed through the center of the table, and a slot 45 is formed in the bottom of the slideway. A spur gear 46 is loosely mounted on a cross shaft 47 that extends across and is secured in bearings in the sides of the table. The spur gear, projects up into the slot 45 and meshes with a toothed rack bar 48 which we term the box shifter rack, and which is mounted in the slideway 44. The gear wheel 46 has a pinion gear49 rigidly secured thereto in any suitable manner, and this pinion meshes with a toothed bar 50,

the lower end of which is bolted to a forked lever 51, which straddles the main shaft 52, and is provided with a roller which enters a suitable cam groove in a cam disk 53, which is mounted on the main shaft. The upper end of the toothed bar 50 passes through a guideway 54, which is rigidly secured to a shaft 47. This box shifting rack bar is provided with a centrally projecting flange which extends throughout its full length. This box shifting rack is held in the slideway 44 by caps which are screwed to the top edges of the slideway. To the flange above these caps clips 56 are secured, that project above the flange and form bearings for the opposite ends of a right and left hand threaded rod 57. Upon the threaded rod 57 blocks 58 are threaded, the upper ends of which are bifurcated to receive the lower end of gripping arms 59, which are rigidly mounted upon pins 60 which are pivotally mounted in the bifurcated ends of the said blocks, their ends extending beyond the side of the block. On one end of each pin 60 is rigidly mounted an arm 61, and upon the outer end of the arm is mounted a roller 62, and on the opposite end of the pin 60 a nut or washer 63 is secured, and a coil spring 64 is mounted on the pin between the nut and the block 58, one end of which enters a hole in the nut and its other end enters a hole in the block. The spring is under tension which is exerted to raise the arm so that its outer end, which is upturned, will extend a slight distance above the plane of the table. The lower ends of the blocks 58 are also bifurcated, and are slidably mounted on the flange 65 of the rack bar 48.

These box gripping arms 59 have their upper ends arranged to stand vertically up right when, at the limit of their upward movement, and their upper ends are adapted to move against and grip the opposite ends of each box, when placed or fed to it by hand or by any suitable mechanism,- with suiiicient pressure to hold it and'move it in operative relation to the pinching members, as will be hereinafter described.

These box grippers are moved down out of the way of each box as-it delivers it to the box pinching station, by a longitudinal bar (36, the upper edge of which terminates in ahorizontal lip 67, which at all times engages the rollers 62 on the arms 61. The opposite ends of the bar 67 are pivotally'attached to levers 68 and 69, respectively, the opposite end of the lever 69 being loosely mounted on a rod 70, which extends transversely across the table and is mounted in bearings in opposite sides of the frame.

The lever 68 is pivotally mounted midway of its length on a shaft 71, and its opposite end is pivotally attached-to one end of a connecting rod 72, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected to a lever 73, which is mounted midway of its length upon a stationary shaft 74, also supported in the side frames of the machine. The op posite' end of the lever carries a roller 75 which is engaged by a cam 76 on the circumferential edge of a disk 7 7 which is rigidly mounted on a shaft78, which is supported in bearings in the side frames of the machine. The roller 75 is held against the edge of the cam disk '77 by a coil spring 79, which surrounds the shaft 74, and is attached at one end to the lever 73 and at the other end to a collar on the said shaft. The shaft 78 carries a bevel gear wheel 80, which meshes with a similar gear 81 on the adjacent end of the main shaft 52.

As the disk 77 rotates, the cam 7 6 engages the roller 75, thereby rocking the lever 7 3,. by which the rod 72 is drawn upon and the lever 68 rocked, its upper end being raised together with the upper end of the lever 69 which moves in unison with the lever 68, through its connection with the bar 66. This movement of the levers 6S and 69 raises the said bar the lip 67 of which engages the rollers on the arms 61, which, with the grippers -58, are permitted to rise to the po sitien shown in Fig. 1, the cam 77 being timed to eiie ct the raising of the bar 66 to allow the grippers to engage each box as it is fed to it.

The finger which discharges the finished boxes irom'the rear end of the ma l e, is in all respectsli re the grippers 59 a roller cai ying arm, the roller of Wnch eiigaged by the flange 67 on the bar (36, i r lire manner as the rollers 62, on the arm (31, of the grippers as the grippers 59 are moved forward to engage an un finished box the finger 42 is also moved forward to engage the box justfinished.

it will, thus be seen that at each rearward movement of the rack bar a bOX is moved into position by the grippers 59 to be enged by the pinching members and simultaneousl i finished box is discharged from the rear end of the machine by the finger d2.

Uur box end pinching smoothing fin ish-ing treatm nt presses the box end cor ners down smooth and forms neat short right angled corners in the boxes, and while we have illustrated and described the prefeared construction and arrangement of our invention, we do not wish to be limited to it, as many changes might be made without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having described our invention,what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In box end finishing mechanism of the character described, the combination with a vertically movable support, of head blocks slidably mounted on said support, and means for moving said head blocks toward and away from each other in unison, each of said blocks having a clamping member slidably mounted therein, a coiiperating clamping member slidably mounted in the first clamping member, a cam shaft, link co nest-ions between the cam shaft and clamping members, means for operating the cam shafts in unison, and means for operating the cam shaft operating means.

2. In box end finishing mechanism of the character described, the combination with a vertically movable support, of head blocks slidably mounted thereon, and means for moving said head blocks toward and away from each other in unison, each head block having a member slidably mounted therein, a. clamp removably secured to said member, a cooperating clamp slidably mounted in the said member, a cam shaft, links connect ing the same with the sliding member, arms rigidly mounted on the cam shaft, a toggle operated by said arms and connected with the said cooperating clamp, means for operating the cam shafts in unison, and means for operating the cam shaft operating means.

3. In box end finishing mechanism of the character described, the combination with a vertically movable support, head blocks slidably mounted on said support, each having cooperating clamping members, a cam shaft and toggle mechanism connected to said clam-ps'and operated by said cam shaft, of a bevel gear on one end of each of said cam shafts, bearings on said head blocks and bevel gears in mesh with the gears on the cam shafts, having hubs which are mounted in said bearings, said latter gears having square apertures extending through them, a square shaft which extends slidably through said gears, and means for operating said square shaft,

4:. In box end finishing mechanism of the character described, the combination with a vertically movable support, head blocks slidab-ly mounted on said support, and means for moving said blocks toward and away from each other, of duplicate mechanisms in said head blocks comprising a slidable clamp holding member, a cooperating clamp slid-ably mounted in said clamp holding member. an abutment, a cam shaft, a toggle connecting said abutment and said cooperating clamp, and means connected with the cam shaft for operating said toggle, and arms connecting said clamp holder and cam shaft,axially alined bevel gears having hubs provided with square apertures, which are mounted in bearings on said head blocks, bevel gears on the ends of said cam shafts in mesh with said alined gears, a square shaft which extends slidably through said alined gears, and cam operated gearing for operating said square shaft;

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

MELV ILLE E. PETERS. GEORGE H. FATE. ALBERT F. MILLER, Witnesses G. SARGENT ELLIOTT, Annnna M. FowLn.

flopies of thispatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "wofilmi'ssionel of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

